Archive for the ‘2010’ Tag

Portman has raised over $2.3 million dollars in the first quarter of 2010, giving him a very strong advantage over the Democratic challenger, whomever it may be.

Lee Fisher, of course, slams Portman’s fundraising number as coming from “the lobbyists and and PACs” so he can come across as the champion of the little guy. But when asked in the article what was the difference between Portman’s fundraising and the fact that Fisher also raised money from PACs and lobbyists, here’s what he says:

…..said he will not raise as much from such sources because they have already sided with Portman.

So it’s ok for Democrats to raise money from special interests only if they get to them first? If not, then it’s bad. I understand.

Can Democrats please get off of the high-horse when it comes to raising money? Many act like the Republicans are the only ones that get money this way. Last I checked, unions do qualify as a special interest group, and Dems got millions from them.

And please Democrats, give Fisher the nomination. Not like Brunner would be all that tough, but if Fisher was the nominee, Portman wouldn’t have to break a sweat.

Quinnipiac University released a poll yesterday that has incumbent Ted Strickland leading 43-38 over GOP challenger John Kasich in the gubernatorial race and has both Lee Fisher and Jennifer Brunner leading Rob Portman in the Senate race to succeed George Voinovichby 4 and 1 point(s), respectively.

Of course this news makes Democrats excited, but Republicans shouldn’t be too disappointed. In both races, there are a very high number of undecideds, so there is a lot of room for Kasich and Portman to make up ground. In the race for governor, Strickland has been under 50% support for a long time and has not been moving, which is “typically worrisome signs for an incumbent” according to the pollster.

The race for the Senate is not much different. There is also a high number of undecideds in the race, but the plus for Portman is that by a 46-44 margin, Ohioans do not want a Senator that supports Obama’s policies.

So there is a long time from now to November,and that means a long time for mud to be thrown on the challengers. To get an idea of the hack-etry that Kasich and Portman will be up against, look here and here.

There are many thoughts that have stood out to me in this Healthcare debate. Things like, ‘elections have consequences’ or that Democrat leadership can pea on your leg and tell you it’s raining with the straightest faces. One thing has impressed me the most, and that is the passion of the American people. I was worried that with the last couple of years that many of us were just worn out, but all across this country, thousands of people protested what they rightly believed was a reckless takeover of 1/6 of the economy by the Federal Government. However, when this passion is not under control, people can get stupid and embarrass themselves. There were stories of alleged gay and racial slurs hurled at Barney Frank and members of the Congressional Black Caucus. There are stories of Congress members and their families getting threatened with physical harm.

Another story, however, has also gained notoriety, and it’s right here in Central Ohio. In a protest outside the district office of U.S. Representative Mary Jo Kilroy (D-OH), a Columbus resident berated and threw money at a man suffering from Parkinson’s disease:

The man’s name: Chris Reichert, a Columbus resident. In an article printed in the Wednesday issue of the Dispatch, Reichert says that “I snapped. I absolutely snapped and I can’t explain it any other way”.

This guy has gone through enough. The embarrassment of having your jackass moment taped and forever in the internets is punishment enough.

But of course, to those on the left, the acts of one represent the acts of all. One blogger from the left, Plunderbund, shared his opinion this way:

Thanks Chris Reichert for proving us right afterall about the negative effects of right wing talk radio that creates caustic political environments that cause people like you to do things you’d never think of doing

As I said in response, I listen/watch conservative media. Hannity, Ingraham, Malkin, Rush. And I never would have done that, and many others would not either. In fact, I believe that Mr. Plunderbund missed this:

Reichert then stepped from the crowd, bent down, pointed a finger in Letcher’s face and as he tossed a pair of dollar bills yelled, “I’ll pay for this guy. Here you go. Let’s start a pot, I’ll pay for you. I’ll decide when to give you money. Here. Here’s another one.”

Organizers on both sides of the debate quickly condemned the actions of Reichert and the other man, who still has not been identified…..

The Tea Party movement fight against more government, more taxes, and more waste is a noble cause; anyone that does what has been alleged has no place in the movement and should be shunned, and have been. The Left is lumping the kooks with everyday folks to try and discredit it; so far, it is not working. Those that support the movement need to continue to be vocal and oppose the extremists because that is not the support this cause needs.

It’s official: Jennifer Brunner is running for the Democratic nomination to be Ohio’s next US Senator.

This is good, for two reasons:

1. Whomever leaves this primary will be bloodied and bruised, making the race a little easier for Rob Portman.

I’m not saying that this will guarantee victory for the GOP, but there is a reason why party leadership hates primaries like this one. Look at 2006. In the race for the US Senate on the Democratic side, Paul Hackett was gearing up for a run, but Sherrod Brown got enough support from party insiders to keep him at bay. Brown then had the momentum (and more importantly, the money) to beat incumbent Mike DeWine. In the race to succeed Gov. Taft, on the GOP side you had Blackwell, Petro, and Montgomery. Then-Ohio GOP Chair Bob Bennett tried to avoid a primary, but all three were bent on running. The “victor”, Blackwell, was damaged and broke and was routed by Ted Strickland.

There are some, like Jill from Writes Like She Talks, makes some good points for Mary Taylor to enter the race, but for the reasons stated above and next I completely disagree.

2. This improves our shot at getting control of Apportionment Board.

A legitimate argument has been made that the AB does not matter since the Democrats won the Ohio House in spite of the districts being drawn by Republicans. However, the AB not only draws the Ohio General Assembly districts, but also Congress. This could mean a more hospitable district in the 1st for Steve Chabot, or the 13th for Mary Taylor. If Brunner stays in, there is talk that Cuyahoga Co. Prosector Bill Mason could run for Secretary of State, a thought that amuses me. If ODP Chair Chris Redfern is smart, he will avoid Cuyahoga Democrats like the plague, as that is a race that Jon Husted would be a favorite in. A Husted win would definitely give us the AB back, as I believe that Mary Taylor will win a little easier this time.